This is a spoiler-free review of The Flight Attendant, which premieres Nov. 26 on HBO Max with the first three episodes. The Flight Attendant episode 1 is now available to stream for free on HBO Max ahead of its official release.
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It is far easier to review a series that is very bad or very good. One can make quick work of show that evokes a clear reaction in the reviewer. But with a series like The Flight Attendant — premiering on HBO Max on November 26, with the first episode available for an early preview from November 18 — the work becomes a bit harder. Because The Flight Attendant is... fine, I guess? It wants to be so much more than it is, but the result is something that’s more tedious than anything else.
The series, based on the novel of the same name by Chris Bohjalian, follows the titular flight attendant Cassie (Kaley Cuoco) as she wakes up next to a dead body with no memory of what happened the night before. What unfolds is an engaging enough mystery thriller chockablock full of camp that feels way more in line with an early aughts ABC series than the prestige-adjacent offerings HBO Max has been producing so far. But in all honesty, it feels as if the series should have been a movie instead of a show, because there really isn’t much there in the first four episodes given to critics, and the twists and turns feel a bit too obvious.
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If you’re looking for a romp-y, well-cast thriller and aren’t too concerned about the meaty stuff like, y’know, plotting or dialogue, The Flight Attendant is diverting enough fluff. It’s also well-directed and slickly edited: director Susanna Fogel helms the first two episodes and sets a very specific tone. She’s someone you’re excited to see more from, but this by-the-numbers project feels like a waste of her obvious talents.
That theme carries through with the casting: Scene-stealing actors like Michelle Gomez and Rosie Perez are fantastic, but wildly underutilized. Merle Dandridge is making the most out of a very trope-y part as a prickly FBI agent. If you’re a fan of Cuoco, you will be satisfied here: she throws herself completely into her trainwreck of a character, and her game performance helps keep things moving. Michiel Huisman is handsome and enigmatic, so that’s alright.
Overall, the whole thing is just... okay. It’s not egregiously bad or offensive, but it’s not really all that good, either. It's perfectly serviceable filler for those looking for a somewhat dated but glossy comedy thriller that’ll distract you for a few hours, but ultimately (forgive us), The Flight Attendant is more of an economy offering than first class.
For more from HBO Max, check out the trailer for the next Adventure Time: Distant Lands special, Obsidian:
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